HE MAKES PERFECT SENSE

TAMPA DERBY GIVES GOOSE BUMPS, 101 Beyer Fig

The three Kentucky Derby preps held in three different locations in North America yesterday all provided some nifty performances with the Tampa Bay Derby certainly being the highlight – and one of the best races seen in 2007.
Early Kentucky Derby favourite STREET SENSE (Street Cry – Bedazzle, Dixieland Band) had a picture perfect journey in the 1 1/16 mile race as he rode the rail from mid-pack to join three rivals inside the quarter-pole before hooking up with ANY GIVEN SATURDAY (Distorted Humor – Weekend in Indy, A.P. Indy), trained by Todd Pletcher.
The ensuing stretch duel was hair-raising and a bob of the noses at the wire went to Street Sense. The pair set a track record of 1:43 and were more than 6 lengths clear of the third-place finisher.
The amount of ground lost by Any Given Saturday was significant, although his rival had not raced this year. Both colts are dead-even it seems and let’s hope they come out of the race well and have another battle before or at the Derby.

At Oaklawn, the fast improving CURLIN (by Canadian-bred SMART STRIKE – Sherriff’s Deputy, by Canadian-bred DEPUTY MINISTER) proved his 12 plus length maiden score at Gulfstream was the real thing as he looped colts to win the Rebel Stakes with a 97 Beyer Figure. He posted a 101 Beyer in his debut.

At Santa Anita, Merv Griffin’s COBALT BLUE was given a nice, easy trip by jockey Victor Espinoza and had lots left to scamper away in the stretch to win the San Felipe in gate-to-wire fashion (no Beyer Figure available this morning). It was the third win in four races for the Florida-bred son of Golden Missle – Prado Star, El Prado. Prado Star, a stakes placed filly at Woodbine, is a Canadian-bred and she was trained by Tino Attard.

LOOK AT ME!

(Photo at right)
This handsome colt is from the first crop of Horse of the Year GHOSTZAPPER out of stakes winner ADORNED, the dam of Queen’s Plate winner Archers Bay, multiple stakes winner Nashinda and last year’s winner Celebrate.
This photo was scooped up from the foaling barn page on the Windfields Farm website – http://www.windfieldsfarm.com/.

YESTERDAY AND TODAY

SIDCUP (Running Stag – Nice Change, Gulch) was a solid second beaten just 1 ¼ lengths in the Tejano Run Stakes yesterday at Turfway Park. The Canadian-bred gelding is a Polytrack ace so look for him to pop up at Woodbine in 2007.

Not much in the way of 'wow' racing today, Aqueduct is cancelled, no stakes at Gulfstream, fair Grounds, ho hum...
There are four Canadian-breds in the 5th race at Fair Grounds, a maiden allowance on the grass

for fillies and mares. Longtime maidens WISHART, CLEOPATRA’S NEEDLE and SHINE LIKE THE SUN tackle Minshall Farms’ AMERICAN ARMADA.

Trainer Brian Lynch worked Stronach’s Stable’s stakes winner ROYAL CHALLENGER (Touch Gold), Queen’s Plate hopeful HIGH ACT (El Prado) and winner FEISTY WOMAN at Palm Meadows yesterday. Their times were :36 4/6, :51 and :49 3/5 respectively.

WESTMORELAND (Danzig – Pico Teneriffe, Red Ransom), who might be ready to sneak into the HOT CANADIAN-BRED list on Thoroughblog renews his rivalry with Sam-Son’s Canadian-bred GO TO THE SUN (Gone West-Wilderness Song,Wild Again) in the 9th at Fair Grounds.

SHAHNANA'S WEST

(photo courtesy Elissa Blowe)

How cool is this? Love to see retired racehorses having fun. This is former Woodbine claimer SHAHNANA'S WEST (West by West - Shahnana) in Ocala, Florida this month strutting his stuff at the site of the United States eventing team. That is top event rider Trish Green on board the 10-year-old gelding. "Shahnana was racing at Fort Erie in 2004 (he gan his career in 1999) when he went through the Phase 2 Thoroughbred program (see link to right), operated by Elissa Blowe. The gelding won 7 of 66 races and $187,000.